Jo 19:25

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Tue Oct 19 07:56:08 EDT 1999


To: Stephen C. Carlson,

SCC: << By the way, does anyone know the Greek word for "sister-in-law"?  I 
got lots of hits on Perseus for "mother-in-law," "father-in-law," 
"brother-in-law," and "son-in-law," but no hits for "sister-in-law" (or, 
for that matter, "daughter-in-law"). >>

Hmm ... I'm not as high-tech as yourself, but looking in my "English-Greek 
Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language" compiled by S.C. Woodhouse 
(Routedge & Kegan Paul, 1910) I found entries for "mother-in-law," 
"father-in-law," "brother-in-law," and "son-in-law," but no entries for 
either "daughter-in-law" or "sister-in-law." (Some of us still use books! <g>)

SCM: << ... there are perhaps three reasons why one might want 
to  seriously consider understanding Jn 19:25 as referring to four women: 
(a) the reason the KAI is omitted before the first MARIA is because John 
lists two sets of pairs: the two sisters and the two Marys; (b)  the normal 
order is proper name first followed by an articular substantive of 
relationship in apposition; and (c)  it would be very unusual to have two 
sister with the same first name. >>

SCC: << The last reason was decisive for BAGD's endorsing of the Four Women 
Hypothesis ... >>

Some people are easy to convince, while others are simply incredulous. All 
the scholarly commentaries, which I've consulted, have been just as 
gullible! <g>

SCC: << I suppose one rejoinder is to follow Hegesippus (mentioning a 
Clopas as a brother of Joseph) and postulate that they are sisters-in-law 
with the same name. >>

Or perhaps a family with one Mary decided to adopt another Mary, after her 
(the adopted Mary's) parents died a horrible and tragic death, and raise 
the two Marys as sisters. Unfortunately, John gave us very little of these 
women's life history.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com

 From Luther's Large Catechism: "Why, do you think, is the world now so 
full of unfaithfulness, shame, misery, and murder? It is because everyone 
wishes to be his or her own master, be free from all authority, care 
nothing for anyone, and do whatever he or she pleases. So God punishes one 
knave by means of another" (BoC 386.154).



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